1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that generates a process flow by combining a plurality of tasks, an image forming system, an image forming method, and a medium storing a program thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Applications have been proposed with which a continuous process flow obtained by combining a plurality of tasks with respect to a document held in an image forming apparatus, such as an MFP (multifunction peripheral), can be registered and then executed by being called up by a user. Accordingly, a combination of processes that are frequently used can be executed without a troublesome operation.
Here, a task refers to, for example, a process that can be realized with the individual functions of an image forming apparatus or the like that is provided with multiple functions, or a process that can be realized with an application that is executed by an information processing apparatus or the like. For example, input and output tasks of the image forming apparatus include scanning originals, printing document data, transmission (e-mails, faxes, files, and the like), saving to a disk (saving to a hard disk internal or external to the image forming apparatus), and so on. Editing tasks include combining the data of a plurality of documents, deleting pages within document data, and so on.
A combination of a series of tasks that is created with the aim of linking together such a plurality of tasks and processing them chronologically is called a “process flow”. Combining tasks in this way makes it possible to perform various combined processing, including inputting a result obtained with one task and executing another task with that input. There are image forming apparatuses in which an application handling the above process flow is installed, and the process flow is executed by the user pressing a button.
On the other hand, applications have been proposed with which a process flow can be created and registered in an image forming apparatus, using a keyboard or a mouse of an information processing apparatus, such as a PC (Personal Computer). Since a keyboard and a mouse are used, operability is superior compared to creating a process flow using a UI (user interface) such as a touch panel of an image forming apparatus.
However, when a process flow for transmission from an image forming apparatus to a folder designated by the user is created and registered, the folder designated by the user sometimes is not a shared folder. In such a case, a process flow according to which transmission to the folder designated by the user is impossible will be ultimately registered in the image forming apparatus. Further, if a folder designated by a user is inadvertently shared, then this folder may be easily attacked, thus creating a security problem, as well.
Various techniques have been developed in order to solve the above problems. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-287389 describes an image forming apparatus in which only a shortcut is created to a folder designated by a user, and image data transmitted from the image forming apparatus is saved in another shared folder, thus enabling access to the image data from the folder designated by the user.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-094444 is a conventional example of avoiding the case where transmission to a folder designated by a user is impossible. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-094444, when image data cannot be transmitted to a transmission destination from an image forming apparatus, data is temporarily saved in a storage area of the image forming apparatus. An inquiry is regularly made to the transmission destination about whether transmission is possible, and data is transmitted when transmission is possible, thereby avoiding the case where transmission is impossible.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-287389, since image data is not transmitted to a folder designated by a user, but saved in another shared folder, it is possible to maintain security of the folder designated by the user.
However, the image data is not transmitted to the folder designated by the user. Thus, in order to save the image data in the folder designated by the user, the user has to move the image data from the shared folder.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-094444, since an inquiry is made to a transmission destination about whether transmission is possible or not, it is possible to transmit after transmission is allowed.
However, although this method is effective when the reason why transmission is impossible is power off or the like, the method cannot be applied when the transmission destination is not set so as to be shared.